Whether it’s a photo on a mug or photo printed and framed, your travel photography can make great gifts.

Create a best-of album

When you start going through your photos after a trip, make sure you put a handful of your favorites in a folder for easy access.

Your best-of album makes it easy to find photos when you want to remember your travels.

What do you do you with your travel photos?

What are some of your creative ways to share them?

Start Your Nature Photography Journey

Are you a green traveler who’s passionate about exploring new cultures, as well as nature and wildlife in exotic locations?

Consider preserving memories of your travels through photography.

By using a digital camera during your trips, you can discover new features, textures, and colors in the natural environment.

However, if you’ve never tried your hand at nature photography (an umbrella term that includes wildlife and landscape photography), you may feel overwhelmed by the different cameras and lenses that are available.

You may also be completely clueless when it comes to choosing your subjects and crafting your first photos.

Just as importantly, you may worry that your first venture into nature photography might harm the wildlife and natural areas you’ll be exploring.

Read on and you’ll soon be armed with the know-how and confidence to tackle nature photography like a boss.

Capturing the Beauty of the Natural World

Nature photography is all about capturing the beauty and grandeur of the natural world—landscapes, wildlife, and plants or close-ups of textures, scenery, and wildlife.

Unlike other photography genres (like documentary photography), nature photography places greater emphasis on the aesthetic value of the photographs.
As a result, many nature photographs have marked artistic and painterly qualities such as intense colors, unusual contrasts between light and shadow, and other creative enhancements.

This maxim is best expressed by Ansel Adams, who said that “beauty comes first” in his images.

Ethical Nature and Wildlife Photography

Of particular concern to green travelers is the ethical aspect of nature and wildlife photography.

While photographers should be free to explore themes and subjects that inspire their creativity, they should also avoid causing any harm to the animals, plants, and natural areas they photograph.

As some photographers are prepared to do almost anything to get the shots they want, conservation groups and photography associations have published a number of codes of conduct for wildlife photographers.

Listed here are the key points to remember when photographing wildlife:

Always photograph the animals from a safe and respectful distance.

If the animal shows any signs of stress, move further back or leave the scene altogether.

Be patient when photographing animals and never force an animal to do something.

Never encroach on nests or dens during breeding season.

Always treat the animals and their natural habitat with utmost respect.

Respect local cultures and customs.

When baiting wildlife, use only organic food that’s part of the animals’ natural diet, and avoid baiting animals that are potentially dangerous.

As for photographing the natural environment, common sense rules prevail.

Nature photographers should avoid polluting and littering the natural environment, and stay on trails that are forged to lessen impact on fragile ecosystems.

With interchangeable lenses, nature photographers can switch to telephoto zoom lenses when photographing wildlife from a distance and macro lenses when taking close-ups of insects, tree barks, and other subjects.

Canon Rebel T6i

The Canon Rebel T6i is great for amateur nature photographers who want an affordable camera with great features.

It has an easy-to-use interface, built-in Wi-Fi (for quick transfers to a computer or instant sharing on social media), and an upgraded autofocus.

Other key specs include a 24-megapixel resolution, an APS CMOS sensor, an ISO range of 100-12,800, shutter speeds of 1/4000-30 sec, and continuous shooting at 5 fps (great for shooting wildlife in action).

Top lenses Canon users should consider investing in include the Canon 10-18mm IS STM and the Canon 10-22mm.

Nikon D3300

The Nikon D3300 is an outstanding budget DSLR that combines a 24-megapixel DX-format (APS) CMOS sensor (measuring 15.4mm x 23.2mm) with a feature set that’s designed to please shutterbugs looking to upgrade from point-and-shoot cameras to entry-level DSLRs.

Other key specs include an ISO range of 100-12,800, an 11-point autofocus system, continuous shooting at 5 fps, and shutter speeds of 1/4000-30 sec.

Choosing the Nikon D3300 gives users access to Nikon’s more than 70 current-production lenses and teleconverters.

Including close-up, fisheye, superwide, long zoom, and Vibration Reduction lenses.

Top lenses Nikon users should consider investing in include the Nikon 10-24mm and the Nikon 18-300mm VR.

The Art of Taking Nature Photos

Once you own the best DSLR camera, you’re ready to start taking nature and wildlife photos, right?

Not so fast.

Check out the following sections to help you conceptualize and snap better nature photos.

Amateur photographers should start with aperture priority, and should also experiment with other aperture settings, ISO values, and exposure compensation values.
Examine your shots carefully. If any areas of the photo are blinking, this means that these areas are over or underexposed.

To get rid of these blinking areas, adjust the exposure compensation and ISO settings and try again.

You can also use your DSLR’s histogram to determine if your photos have been properly exposed.

Using Post-Processing Software

You can enhance your captured shots using post-processing software like Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop.

But, depending on where you are traveling, a solid state drive would be a great option for how to backup photos while traveling.

Upload When You Can

We had internet periodically on our trip, and we made sure to upload photos to Flickr when we could.

Reviewing our photos on the road was great because we would also select our favorite photos and put them in a separate folder to upload to Flickr, just in case something happened to our other storage.

Because our internet access was limited and not very fast, we weren’t able to do this with all of our photos.

But we felt better knowing that our favorite photos were safe online.

To speed up the upload process, we also reduced the file size.

How do you backup photos while traveling?

What tips do you have for how to backup photos?

DSLR vs Point-and-Shoot Camera: Which Should You Buy?

Last March, I attended a media event with Sony, where I was fortunate enough to spend three full days on location in Park City, Utah learning how to use a variety of their newest cameras, video cameras, and tablets.

I now have enough knowledge to make a decision about bringing my DSLR vs Point-and-Shoot Camera wherever I go.

I traded in my trusty Nikon point-and-shoot for the duration of the trip, and absorbed the information and in-the-field tutorial of Sony experts.

I’ll tell you, I was a bit nervous.

I’m not especially tech-savvy, despite using cameras in my line of work as a travel writer for years.

I was sure the Sony experts were going to push me out of my comfort zone (the world of point-and-shoots) and make me leave mine behind.

So what is really the best DSLR vs Point-and-Shoot Camera

Instead, I came away from the experience buoyed by two facts:

While DSLR (which stands for digital single lens reflex) cameras are often the go-to choice for specific functions and results, they don’t have to be complicated.

Point-and-shoots still have their place in my day pack or purse.

DSLR vs Point-and-Shoot Camera

What a relief! I didn’t want to give up the convenient size of my point-and-shoot, which fits so nicely in my pocket.

And those intimidating DSLRs?

They’re not so scary as you might think.

Oh, and plus?

Video cameras can be quite small now, and I’m not just talking about the one on your phone.

Best camera for…

Taking pictures of kids and action-packed vacations

If you’re trying to capture intense action while on-the-go, it is best to use an action cam.

It can be mounted on your helmet, bike handlebar, or even strapped to your chest.

Turn it on, record the action, and turn it back off.

After being introduced to Sony’s Action Cam, I’ve been able to actually keep up with my skiing kids.

Whereas I used to be way behind, trying to film with one hand and hold my poles in the other.

Because action cams (not just the Sony version) have waterproof casing, they can come along for the ride in kayaks, through mud puddles, and in dirt.

Even when you’re not traveling, an action cam is the best camera for taking pictures of kids.

Which type to buy?

Sony’s Action Cam features WiFi, which can be used to download videos directly to phones and Facebook as well as for you to see the angle of your shot via your screen as you’re filming.

The well-known Go Pro HERO does not feature WiFi, but does enjoy a on-camera screen and more intuitive programming.

Waterproof camera for outdoor travel

If you’re planning to take photos while rafting, swimming, backpacking, or hiking, you need a camera that will fit in a pocket or waist-belt pocket of a day pack, is immune to dust and dirt getting into the lens, and is waterproof.

Opt for a waterproof, dust-proof point-and-shoot like the Sony rugged Cyber-Shot with both video and still shoot capability.

I’m planning to take mine swimming with whale sharks; horseback riding through the Tetons; and kayaking in Alaska.

The Olympus Tough compact digital camera has similar features for a similar price tag, and like the Sony, also claims to be shockproof and freeze-proof.

Night shots, landscapes, and portraits

This is where a DSLR and interchangeable lens cameras really shine.

Maybe the point-and-shoot will suffice while you’re trying to grab a shot while riding behind sled dogs or navigating a Class III rapid, but when you can take your time to set up your shot, you’ll want a manual lens.

And if you’ve tried to take really great night shots or interior shots with your point-and-shoot, you know that you really need to know what you’re doing to be successful.

After only a few days with a Sony NEX-6, an interchangeable lens camera that has the features of a DSLR without the weight or bulk, I was able to take great shots of city lights, close-ups of food and faces, and gorgeous landscapes.

The key?

Being able to adjust shutter speed, and frame my shot in a viewfinder.

For a great overview of DSLRs, read the Best Digital DSLR Cameras for Every Traveler’s Budget.

If you want the best camera for night shots, landscapes, and portraits, a DSLR or high-quality interchangeable lens camera is the way to go.

Below is a shot I took of the perfect snow at Park City’s The Canyons while ‘on location’ with the Sony NEX:

photo with DSLR

If you can’t afford a DSLR or other high-quality interchangeable lens camera (they are pricey!), a nice almost-hybrid point-and-shoot is the Nikon Coolpix.

This is the camera I put aside during my tutorials in Park City, but which I do still use and find to be a trusty camera.

I use mine to carefully set up landscape shots and grab action on the go.

If you’re tech-impaired like I am, here’s what to look for in your first DSLR or Interchangeable Lens Camera:

Viewfinder

Yes, cameras still have them.

No, your point-and-shoot hasn’t boasted one for quite a few years, and I know you don’t think you need one, but you do.

I was amazed by the different in my ability to frame a good shot when I was looking through a view finder.

Screen in addition to a viewfinder

Sometimes, you do need to see the ‘whole picture’ or be able to see your view at a different angle.

Look for a camera (like the Sony NEX) that offers an adjustable screen.

This really comes in handy when you have your camera on a tripod (or set on a ledge or bench) and need to see your view.

Auto feature

Yes, your DSLR will have a zillion settings, but even the experts I talked to at the Sony event recommended that as a novice, I use the auto feature 90% of the time.

And I got great photos.

The auto feature takes the guesswork out of a DSLR for when you need to capture a moment without over-thinking it.

That’s our roundup of a DSLR vs point-and-shoot camera.

If you’ve never considered a DSLR or interchangeable lens camera because all the settings and user-control intimidate you (as it did me), I hope you’ll reconsider.

They really are only as complicated as you want them to be.

And if you’ve been trying to use a DSLR while in the midst of action, don’t be leery of giving a point-and-shoot a chance.

Many perform better than you’d imagine.

Think about your activity, the pace of the action, and the conditions (water, etc.) and go from there.